Learn To Skateboard [Quick & Easy Instructional Guide]

Learn To Skateboard [Quick & Easy Instructional Guide]

Step 1: Work With What You’ve Got

Soft Wheels VS Hard Wheels:

If you’re riding on the tan concrete sidewalk or in the skatepark hard wheels are better.

If you’re riding in the street on the black asphalt (unless it’s really smooth with no cracks) soft wheels are better.

Deck Size:

Bigger decks are easier to learn on because they have a bigger platform to stand on for more balance. Your deck shouldn’t be too big that you can’t do manuals or kick turns unless you have a longboard or want to limit your skateboarding potential immediately.

Is It Easier To Ride A Skateboard Or A Longboard?

Its easier to learn to skateboard on a double kick board in the skatepark, on sidewalks with cracks where you have to go up handicapped ramps sidewalk to sidewalk, and sometimes on smoother black asphalt streets.

It’s easier to learn to skateboard with a longboard on the black asphalt street and on nicer sidewalks.

The deck size of a longboard makes it easier to learn to skateboard because of its bigger platform to stand on. In most cases, the longer it is the harder it will be to turn unless it has longboard trucks designed to turn quickly like Gullwing Sidewinders. Usually, longboard trucks don’t turn as much which allows them to handle high speeds.

Cruiser boards are good boards to learn to skateboard on the streets and on sidewalks, but the soft wheels limit them in the skatepark. Cruiser boards are also susceptible to getting wheel bite if they don’t have riser pads, which can make you eat crap. They are great for learning how to ride.

Step 2: Figuring Out Your Riding Style

Riding Stance:

When you push the board, one foot will be off on the ground and the other will be on the board facing in the direction you are riding. It can be slightly curved to make it easier to turn it once you step your other foot on the board.

When you step on after pushing, your back foot should land near the back bolts. You will then adjust your feet by sliding them where they need to be. If you push mongo, your front foot will push off the ground and land on the front bolts.

While just riding, your feet should be at slight angles. If you are doing tricks while you are riding, you can ride in ollie position. Most of the time though it’s more comfortable to ride with your body facing more forward.

Which Foot Goes In Front On A Skateboard:

Whichever foot feels more comfortable is the foot that goes in front. Left foot forward is called regular. Right foot forward is called goofy.

One good way to find out which way someone rides is to do this: Have them stand with their feet together. Push them so they take a step forward with one of their feet to catch themselves from falling forward. The foot they step out with is their front foot.

Sometimes skaters want to ride the other way than they stepped out. Let them ride how they want to.

Step 3. Pushing

Pushing Off To Start:

The best way to start riding is by pushing off. This is because you have one foot on the ground keeping your balance and one in position on the board ready to go.

Jumping on the board and landing with both feet to start is harder and can make beginners fall when they first learn to skateboard.

Make sure to step onto the board correctly and adjust your feet so your toes don’t hang off the front side and your body is turned to a comfortable riding angle. Brace yourself because the board is going to roll with you on it. Go with it. Learn to skateboard.

Pushing While Riding:

To push, you have to step from the board onto the ground with one foot. Then you do the same as pushing off. Your weight shouldn’t transfer completely from one foot to the other. You should have some weight on the board the whole time when pushing while riding. Keep control of the board with about 25% of your weight on that foot to get the maximum force out of your push off of the other foot. The push is a kick not a step on the ground.

Step 4: Riding & Turning

How To Ride A Skateboard:

To ride, you have to be balanced and have your body braced to hold yourself on the board. Hopefully not braced for impact! You are either controlling the board or letting it control you. Put your arms out and try to balance, don’t just stand there. Move your feet around while you’re riding and learn to get your feet into riding position immediately after stepping on.

How To You Turn When Riding A Skateboard:

To turn a skateboard you lean to one side or the other. The trucks have bushings that squish so the trucks can turn. If you don’t lift up your wheels and use entirely the trucks to turn, it’s called a carve. You have to go a little faster to carve, you can’t carve without moving.

If you want to turn sharply and you have a board with a tail you can do another kind of turn called a tic tac. You put pressure on the tail of the board, balance, and turn the board by lifting the front wheels off the ground. You will turn your shoulders and the wheels will land over a few inches from where they started.

A lot of new riders when they first learn to skateboard can tic tac better than they can carve. This is because they usually start with tighter boards to make their boards have more stability for balance. They are also usually going slower than is required to carve because they can’t ride very well yet.

Step 5. Doing Tricks

At first, doing tricks will be hard and it takes years to master tricks, so keep practicing. Have fun. There are some tricks you can do with little to no experience as you learn to ride:

Step 6. Stopping

Stopping shouldn’t be a problem for anyone unless they get going too fast to jump off and run out.

Stepping Or Jumping Off:

Make sure to jump off before you get going too fast.

Step off if you’re going slower. Step off like you would do while pushing.

If you feel more comfortable jumping off, then do it. Don’t get off balance on the board as you jump. Boards slip out and people learning to skateboard fall on their butts all the time trying to jump off.

Foot Braking:

You can learn to foot brake by staying balanced over the foot that’s on the board and then dragging the sole of the kicking foot on the ground. Some skaters grab the board with their hands and sit down on it so that they can stop with both feet. There are also other ways to stop on your skateboard.